Disgaea: Hour of Darkness

411mania gives a rundown on this week's game releases. Highlights include Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?, Street Fighter IV, DoDonPachi Daioujou Black Label Extra, Shooting Love, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, Metroid Prime Wii. Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? (PSP) Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? is one of the best platformers I've played in years thanks to it's tight controls and above average presentation. However, this game is definitely not for everyone. In fact, I'm pretty sure that only hardcore platformer junkies and people with infinite amounts of patience will get past the first three or four stages without developing a desire to throw their PSPs at a wall in rage. But if you can hang on, getting through the game can be quite satisfying and is an achievement that is worth bragging about. Street Fighter IV (PS3, 360) It isn't necessary for me to go in-depth since every other site is already doing it. I will, however, bring to your attention one of the coolest features SFIV has - the Arcade Request system. Basically, instead of watching a static screen while waiting for someone to challenge you online, this system allows you to play against the computer and seamlessly accept a challenge when one comes your way. It's like going to an arcade and playing against the CPU until someone gets the nerve to plunk down fifty cents to take you on. If you set it to accept only Player Matches (unranked) you can keep things going by rematching or, if you don't want to play the person again, you can quickly and easily go back to arcade mode after your match and continue on with the CPU until you get another challenge. It's hard to believe that it's taken Capcom this long to implement such a system. I can only hope that SNK does the same thing in its home version of KOF XII. DoDonPachi Daioujou Black Label Extra (360 Import) Every shooter needs its own hook to stand out. While Trigger Heart has its grapple syst...

SquareEnix have today announces that Nippon Ichi Software's Disgaea DS will be released by SquareEnix across PAL territories in Spring 2009, exclusively on the NintendoDS system. Simple yet highly addictive, Disgaea DS is an updated portable version of the classic Strategy Role-Playing Game Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, previously available on the PlayStation2. Since its release Disgaea has won over a loyal following of fans that have grown to love the quirky humour and deep, long-lasting...

Spencer reports: After so many reprints of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness I'm surprised it isn't already Greatest Hits game. In September it probably will be.

Destructoid writes: Reprints rock. Especially reprints of Atlus and NIS games that you missed out on during the initial run and are now selling for well above the MSRP. We told you about Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne getting the reprint treatment a few months ago, and now bring word of another title in the SMT line that is as well. Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga is now available at Play-Asia for $44.90. Play-Asia has also let us know through their newsletter that their supply of Nocturne reprints have also been restocked, so feel free to nab one of those if you haven't already. The NIS camp is also reprinting one of its harder to find games, AR Tonelico: Melody of Elemia. They also have a reprint of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness available, but that's not quite as exciting due to there already being several versions available and another one coming to the DS. While both of these are available at Play-Asia as well, their prices are marked up rather high. Pick em up at NIS distributor Rosenqueen instead.